Your Infinite Potential: The Power of Morning Ritual

What you do during the first 15 minutes of your morning can change your entire day – making you more alert, more physically energised, healthier and in control. It is another way to help reach ‘Your Infinite Potential’.   Just 15 minutes. 

I was having difficulty maintaining some simple but beneficial practices. I would do something for a few days and then life would get in the way and my good intentions would fall by the wayside. I decided I needed to start my day with more purpose, intention and control to help me feel more grounded and better enable me to carry a positive attitude with me throughout the rest of the day. 

Author Tim Ferriss firmly believes that “If you win the morning, you win the day”.  There’s scientific evidence behind this. Researcher Steve Kay, professor of molecular and computational biology at the University of Southern California, notes: “When it comes to doing cognitive work most adults perform best in the morning. As body temperature starts to rise just before awakening in the morning and continues to increase through midday, working memory, alertness and concentration gradually improve. Morning rituals prepare your mentally and physically for your peak working period.”

You might be thinking, “I DO have a morning ritual – I hit my snooze button, then, still groggy, grab my phone which is within arm’s reach of my bed – check out emails, social media, the news, have a coffee, check out social media again, do whatever else is necessary to head out the door and head to work. However, you probably know as well as I do that when we turn our devices on first thing in the morning, we get bombarded with inputs and then we keep on craving more. 

I know that I had loads of excuses as to why I would look at my phone first thing – maybe there was a super-important message from a family member. (Invariable, there was nothing urgent). Or I was curious to see what people may have posted on Facebook or LinkedIn overnight. Don’t want to miss wishing someone Happy Birthday (2 hours before they wake up). And then one thing leads to another. 7:00 quickly turns to 7:30 and then we are rushing around out of control, unfocused and with a decreased ability to sustain attention on things later in the day. Still, we continually start our days this way.

I would argue, that what I described above – checking our devices, how we get ourselves out the door in the morning - are more habits or routines, rather than ‘morning rituals’. The difference between a routine and a ritual is not necessarily the action, but the attitude behind the action.

Habit, Routine and Ritual:

We can look at a habit as an individual and standalone behaviour, something that is completely unconsciousness.  You are almost totally unaware that they are performing the habit.

A routine is more functional. There is stuff that needs to get done, (making breakfast, working out, showering, getting to work) and having a routine helps you to accomplish these day-to-day tasks.

A ritual, however, is a completely different way of performing a task or series of tasks. A ritual is performed with mindfulness and awareness. It requires being in the here and now. A sense of purpose or enjoyment.

For me, there are two key elements to a successful morning ritual:

Start small: Rather than trying to tackle everything at once, I wondered what I could accomplish and how I would feel if I woke up only 15 minutes early with the sole purpose of ‘me time’ and setting my day up in the way that I wanted to, not dictated by life’s demands. And to do this ritual first - before any other chores, distractions or phone-gazing. 15 minutes is easy to maintain but could make a big difference in how I felt and the choices I made throughout the day.

It has meaning for you: There is a lot of advice out there about what constitutes a good morning ritual. But I strongly believe there is not only one way. You need to determine what is important for you and what pattern you want to set for your day. For me, I knew I wanted to address body, soul and mind.

My Ritual:

The first thing I do when I wake up (before anything else) is put the kettle on and make some hot lemon water. Drinking lemon water as soon as you wake up spikes your energy levels physically and mentally. By improving nutrient absorption in your stomach, it gives you a steady, natural energy buzz that lasts the length of the day. You need to drink it first thing in the morning (on an empty stomach) to ensure full absorption. You should also wait 15–30 minutes after drinking it before eating (perfect time to squeeze in some exercise). Lemons are chock full of nutrients, such as potassium, vitamin C, and antioxidants which help to flush out toxins and boost your immune system—two wonderful rewards your body deserves first thing in the morning. setting a position intention of self-care and wellness for the rest of the day. 

Next, I do a short functional exercise routine (functional five). Functional fitness exercises train your muscles to work together and prepare them for daily tasks by simulating common movements you might do at home, at work or in sports. While using various muscles in the upper and lower body at the same time, functional fitness exercises also emphasise core stability, doesn’t need any equipment and you can do it wherever you are, be it home, tent, or hotel. I know that 5 minutes of exercise first thing in the morning doesn’t sound a lot – but it sets me up for my day. I know that I have done something good for myself. It also puts me in the state of mind to fit in more exercise during the day.

The third thing I do is 10 minutes of yoga or mindfulness. I use a subscription site called YogaGlo which has over 2500 classes to choose from, ranging from 5 minutes to 90 minutes and cover all types of yoga and meditation for all levels.

If time. I add some extra yoga practice, or I do 15-30 minutes on the stationary bike.

Keeping track

It is useful for me to keep track that I have completed this ritual every day - and note any additional exercise or heath elements that I have managed to achieve. A simple calendar entry is all I need, but it does provide some motivation to continue and it is wonderful to look back on your week and see what you have managed to do.

Now, I am fired up and ready to go!

Over to you

A morning ritual is highly personal, and it may take some time for you to develop what is right for you. If you need more convincing Pickthebrain offers these thoughts:

o  A morning ritual lets you start the day on a proactive, “I did something good for me today” note, rather than a reactive “What do I have to deal with today” note. It’s a simple mind shift, but super empowering when you realise that before you even left the house, you’ve done something good, crossed an item off your to-do list, and practiced a little self-care.

o  A ritual you choose lets you manage your emotions, or do something as healthy as look at something that makes you happy, think about the things you’re grateful for, or enjoy something that brings you joy. Like the previous point, it lets you do something good and feel good about it, rather than being subject to whatever comes your way.

o  Morning rituals let you combine your most powerful habits together. Maybe it’s a little exercise and a healthy breakfast, along with a little gratitude journaling, or maybe it’s just some light stretches and deep breathing. Whatever you want to make a habit, turning it—or they—into a morning ritual can be immensely helpful.

Your choice of ritual will depend on your personal circumstances, your goals, your job, your interests, etc. It might be you want to fit in some music practice, reading, journaling, goal-setting or TED Talks. But what is essential is to create a morning ritual that will prepare you for an effective, positive, and productive day – the kind of day YOU want to have. 

It's not what you do once in a while; it's what you do day in and day out that makes the difference.- Jenny Craig

What’s stopping you?

This is the third in the series: Your Infinite Potential

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